Cursed and Convicted
by CBarbie92
Summary: The Sohma curse would never be lifted but it could at least be a little easier to live through with the help of someone Akito would rather see dead. Shigure/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Hello Again**

**A/N: This is full warning of how this story is not following the manga but picking up the end of the anime. It has been changed and twisted to fit how I want the story line to progress. Anyone who nitpicks will be cursed out. No "OC this" "character that" or "This is supposed to be's". You've been warned.**

* * *

><p>"I guess I was asking for it again huh?"<p>

The young Shigure looked over at the young girl next to him. She was already watching him, smiling with that smirk she had, her green grey eyes waiting for his answer.

"It's not your fault Nai."

She held her arm a little closer to her, it was shattered, "No, I know he gets angry easily, we all know it…"

Shigure stood and helped her stand as well, "Let's go see Hari, he needs to set your arm."

"Shigure."

"Yeah?"

"If this happens again…I'm leaving. Promise you won't come after me."

He chuckled, "I don't know if I can promise you that. Just don't make him angry again."

"Please Shigure." She looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I just can't promise this won't happen anymore."

"Fine. I promise."

* * *

><p>Shigure woke to the sound of banging. He looked out his window and noticed the rain, then looked at the clock next to him and noticed the time. It was three in the morning, were Kyo and Yuki fighting this early?<p>

He stepped into the hall as the banging became more pronounced, that was the door. The dog rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "Who could be wanting to visit little old me at 3 a.m.?"

"Shigure!"

The banging stayed steady but now someone was calling, "Shigure!"

"Who the hell is making all the noise!" Kyo stood at the bottom of the steps with a dazed Yuki behind him.

"All the banging is sure to wake Miss Honda…"

Shigure waved a hand over is shoulder, "I got it."

"Shigure!"

The man finally opened the door and blinked at the woman standing on the porch, soaking wet, "H-hey." She lifted the backpack on her back a bit higher, "I would have called but my cell phone died and the taxi couldn't bring me through the woods…"

"Nai…"

The woman smiled and gestured to her wet jeans and t-shirt, "Um, Gure it's cold, can I come in?"

He stepped back and she stepped in, smiling at the children, "Yuki, Kyo, hey."

"Nai?"

"Miss Nai…I didn't know you were coming home."

Her hair dripped onto the carpet and Shigure closed the door, "It was supposed to be a surprise."

Kyo rubbed his eyes, he was so tired because of the rain, "Are you ok?"

Shigure put his hands on her shoulders and she hung her head, "I am a bit…tired…"

Yuki stepped back as the dog lifted the unconscious woman. "Yuki, come help me get a room ready. I get the feeling she walked all the way from the airport."

"Of course."

Kyo stayed at the bottom of the steps, staring at the ground and the puddle of water her hair left behind. He put his face in his hand, "She came back…"

* * *

><p>"She's still as reckless as ever."<p>

Shigure kept his gaze out the window as Hatori aided the passed out woman, "Hari, we all thought she wouldn't come back this time."

"None of the Sohma's can ever go away and not come back…even if they're not cursed."

A few things clinked around in his medical bag as he rifled through it. That and the woman breathing were the only sounds in the room for a minute.

"We have to take her to see him, don't we Hari?"

"Yes. It can't be avoided."

The dog reached out and touched the woman's hair, "I can't watch him hurt her."

Hatori finally looked up from his bag, "Shigure…"

"I never even stopped him. I just sat there."

"It happened so fast Shigure. You can't keep blaming yourself." A giggle made them look down, "Besides I decked him so hard I doubt even he recalls how it happened."

The woman moved to sit up only to be pushed down by Hatori, "Sorry doctor Tori."

"You come home unannounced after three years and instead of reporting straight to the main house you walk in the rain from the airport to Shigure's house." Nai tried to speak up but a thermometer was shoved in her mouth, "I don't want to hear it."

She rolled her eyes, "You're worse than your dad."

Shigure smiled at them and Nai finally sat up, "We shouldn't question the reasons behind a travelers destination."

"Forever the novelist huh Shigure?" she asked around the thermometer.

He smiled, "It's what I do best."

Hatori watched the two smile at each other and let a small smile in his face as well. "Doctor Tori, are you smiling?" Nai poked his shoulder.

The dragon rolled his eyes and grabbed the thermometer, "You're fine. Your temperature is a little higher than normal but it should go down during the day."

Nai's face became serious, "I want to see him as soon as possible."

Shigure tensed, "Whatever you want my dear." He sang, but it sounded a bit forced.

"Thank you Shigure."

"It's not my job to stop you. Besides, you heard Hari, we have to take you to see him."

The woman nodded, "Has she seen him?"

"Who?"

"Tohru wasn't it? The little girl whose been staying here."

Shigure nodded, "She has."

Nai chuckled, "He hurt her didn't he?"

Hatori packed up his things, "He grabbed her by her hair. She talked him down before he could do any real damage."

"Hm, I couldn't even do that."

"That's because you spent more time arguing with him than anything else. It always made him angrier."

Nai looked down at the end of her necklace and stared at the ring dangling on it, "That's because I liked him better angry. He always scared me when he was being nice."

Hatori sighed and stood, "If that's how you wanted it… I better head back and tell him you're here."

Shigure grabbed the man's suit pants from his sitting position, "Hari wait."

"What is it Shigure?"

"Bring Momiji and Haru over after school. I'm sure they'll want to see her."

Hatori ignored Shigure's fake smile and nodded, leaving the room. Nai smirked, "That's not what you were planning to say was it?"

"No. But I can't protect you, not from him. I'm just happy you came back. Writing about you didn't keep me sated for long."

Nai smiled, "I thought a few characters sounded familiar."

* * *

><p>"You annoying little brat! I swear every time you open your mouth…!"<p>

"Ow! Somebody! Kyo's picking on me!"

Tohru tried her best to separate the boys as they approached the house, Hatori strolled behind them silently, smoking a cigarette. She thought it was a bit odd when he showed up to pick them up from school. He said someone was waiting for them at the house but wouldn't say whom.

"Are you alright Miss Honda?"

"Oh Yuki! I'm fine, just wondering who's at the house."

Yuki flashed back to the night before and the woman who came to the house, "It's just a certain person. She's very nice so there's no need to be worried."

"I know."

"Then stop worrying!" Kyo butted in, "It's really annoying." He pushed through the two and trotted up the couple of steps to the front door.

Tohru followed behind him in silence. It was a woman, maybe a member of the zodiac she hadn't met yet. Or maybe…

"Gure stop it!" the voice was a woman's and she was laughing uncontrollably.

"Why must you make me stop princess! It's been years since I've felt your warm skin!" Shigure answered her playfully.

Hatori slammed open the door to reveal Shigure pinning Nai to the floor. He smiled awkwardly when he saw Hatori at the door, "Oh, Hari." He climbed off the woman and they both stood, "You could have taken the children for ice-cream or something."

"NAI!"

The woman caught Momiji in mid jump and held him tight, "You've gotten so big!"

The boy didn't answer and instead clung tight around her neck and started to sniffle. Nai cupped his head, "Momiji, why are you crying?"

"You didn't say goodbye."

The woman looked up at Haru whose eyes were also wet, Yuki was looking to the floor, and Kyo at the wall. "I'm sorry."

"Indeed, Nai was irresponsible and will now make up for it since she's home by staying here." Hatori sat at the table and looked at her. "Akito's orders."

Tohru piped up, "Are you a zodiac animal Miss Nai?"

The woman smiled, "You're Tohru right?"

"Yes. Tohru Honda."

"No, I'm not cursed…at least not in the animal sense."

"What do you mean?"

Yuki smiled at Tohru, "You see miss Honda, Nai was born under the same blood line as Akito. She can hug us simply because she is all of us."

"Then. You were head of the family?"

Nai sat Momiji next to her and waved her hands, "Oh no! There were…well…behavioral problems with me."

"What do you mean?"

Kyo put an elbow on the table, "She was a trouble maker."

Haru chuckled, "New Years was always a surprise when Nai was around, we grew up with family stories of her pranks."

Shigure chuckled nervously, "Of course exploding food wasn't one of the adult's favorites. When Akito was born the official title was given to him."

Tohru fumbled with her hands, "If you don't mind me asking miss Nai, why did you leave?"

Nai smiled as everyone else in the room fell silent and Shigure left the room. She put a hand on he necklace resting on her chest, "I was supposed to marry Akito. Despite my older age it was decided but…I wanted to be with Shigure."

Tohru gasped, "And Akito found out?"

"In one way or another. Shigure and myself, our friendship grew faster than my friendship with Hatori and Ayame. Akito caught on and we fought about it, he almost killed me."

Tohru reached up for her hair without thinking about it. She knew deep down that Akito was very capable of causing such damage.

Haru hit the table with his fist, "The bastard hit her with a vase and let her bleed out on the floor. We were all young but we remember the ambulance and the blood, it was all over Shigure's shirt…"

The young girl looked at the door leading to the hall and knew Shigure was outside listening.

Nai smiled, "I left after that. It was the last straw."

Hatori stubbed out his cigarette, "Enough talk about the past, it's all behind us. Shigure why don't you come back in so we can eat."

Shigure stepped back into the room and sat next to Nai, "Hari I'm starving lets call for takeout."

Tohru smiled sadly as she saw Nai do the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Power**

"Oh, Tohru…"

Tohru turned away from the tea-pot to see Nai enter the kitchen. The woman lent on the counter and crossed her arms. Tohru noticed that the woman was wearing one of Shigure's sleeping Yukkata like a robe over a t-shirt and shorts. "so you're the one going bump in the night?"

Tohru blushed, "Shigure is still up working so…I thought I would make him some tea."

Nai sighed, "You've been taking very good care of them."

"Well they've done just as much for me. Mom always said you should treat people how you want them to treat you."

"That sounds about right."

Tohru poured the tea into cups and started humming as she bustled about with sugar and cream. "Tohru?"

"Hm?"

Nai smiled and put a hand on Tohru's head, "You should get some sleep hun." Nai gently tapped the girls chin, "Pretty girls like you need beauty sleep."

"Oh! Um…thank you…"

Tohru shuffled off down the hall and lingered at the steps long enough to hear Nai tap softly on the door to Shigure's office. She called out to him, a soft almost pleading sound. Tohru smiled before continuing to her room.

"Nai how nice of you to visit me."

The woman's heart skipped a beat. Shigure looked different staring at the computer screen with his glasses down on the edge of his nose.

Shigure looked at her when she didn't answer, "Tea?"

"Tohru made it. I sent her to bed."

"Ah sweet Tohru, she's such a little angel." He almost sang.

Nai sat next to him and put her elbow on the desk and her head in her hand, "A sweet girl huh? How long has her mother been dead?"

Shigure's face became solemn, "Almost two years now. It's amazing how she still keeps a smile on her face."

"It's because she's here."

"Who would have thought a cursed family could bring someone so much happiness."

Nai sighed and watched him type, "It's a special kind of happiness."

"Why did you come back the way you did?"

She sighed, "Are you really going to make me tell."

"Nai please. You scared us, you scared me."

She let another heavy sigh through her nose. "Honestly, it fell apart. I got fired from my job, I couldn't pay rent, and I hadn't eaten in two days… I really thought that a pampered brat like me could make it on my own in America. I just packed up some of my nicer clothes and spent most of my money on a plane ticket back here."

She scoffed and moved her head to his lap, reaching up to tap his nose, "He knew I would fail…didn't he."

Shigure frowned and stroked her hair; "He may have said something about it."

Nai forced a bit of a smile, "Never much of an optimist was he?"

Shigure chuckled and continued to type, "No, not at all."

* * *

><p>"Wow! Nai you look beautiful!"<p>

The woman smiled at Tohru as she pulled her hair over her shoulder to braid it neatly, "Thank you Tohru."

Her white dress hugged her breasts and floated about her knees. She wore white heels and walked rather steadily in them.

"Thank you again for preparing my dress Tohru. It was in pretty bad shape after being stuffed in my bag."

"Oh it was no problem!"

Kyo lent against the wall in the hall by the front door, "Why are you so calm? Did you forget who you're going to see?"

Nai sighed, "I didn't forget. It just doesn't bother me I guess."

Shigure smiled warmly at her, "You look lovely, shall we be going? Hari is waiting outside."

The woman waved to the children before turning to leave, Shigure behind her with a supportive hand on her back. The car ride was quiet, and she didn't bother to glance out the window as they pulled up before the gate. She smiled at Hatori when he opened her door and the two men walked her to Akito's courters.

Nai reached out a hand to tap on the door but stopped, "I was thinking that I should go alone."

"No!" Shigure grabbed her wrist, "You know we can't trust him."

Hatori put a hand on his friends shoulder, "Shigure let her go. We'll be right outside the door."

Nai tapped once and smirked as Akito's soft voice beckoned for her to enter. She found him leaning against the window, as usual, too cold for him outside. She pulled her sweater closer around her and walked across the room.

She lent on her side against the wall next to him and waited for him to acknowledge her presence. "So you couldn't stay away?"

"Not from you."

"Don't try to flatter me Nai." Akito glared at her and took a step to stand dangerously close to her. "I'm already letting you stay in that house with those traitors and that girl."

Nai held up her hands in mock surrender and continued to keep her voice low, "I take it you don't like Tohru."

He threw his head back in a laugh, "Ha! That ugly little thing… she's like an dying helpless bird."

"Creative use of words." Akito glared at her again and she smirked, "Sorry."

He sat down on his mat and waited for her to sit before him. Nai started to shiver, this was where she laid and almost bled to death the last time she was here. Akito's chuckle pulled her from her thoughts, "Scared?"

"You almost killed me the last time I sat here."

"Because I caught you with what was mine! What still is mine!" the young man tried to calm his breathing and started coughing.

Nai's smirk grew, "Hatori is just outside the door. I could bring him in for you." Her voice was like a mother's, almost mocking him in his weakness.

"Don't-" he wheezed, "Don't push it Nai… I could still kill you."

Her gaze narrowed, "Hatori!"

Both Hatori and Shigure burst into the room to find the woman sitting calmly in front of a violently coughing Akito. Hatori got on his knees next to him and rubbed his back, a pressure point, to ease his coughing.

Nai kept the bored look on her face and didn't move from her place, "Hatori I think Akito and I will have to finish this later, depending on your diagnosis."

Akito reached out and grabbed Nai's necklace, bringing her close, "I still have power over you Nai. Don't forget it."

She watched him carefully, "I won't."

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?"<p>

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

Shigure looked at Hatori and Ayame then back to Nai, "It looks like your packing."

Ayame threw himself over her open suitcase and glared at her, "You can't leave!"

She tried to move him, "I told you I wouldn't stay if it happened again."

Hatori took a step into the room, "Nai-"

"No! Look at me!" the three young men eyed the bandages around her neck and left shoulder, her head had long since been unwraped after Akito took the huge vase to her head. "I almost died in that hospital! I'm not staying around to let him kill me for real…"

Shigure put a hand on her shoulder as tears ran down her face. "Nai please. We can protect you, you won't have to see him alone… you forget we are older then him."

Nai shrugged off his hand, "Having you and Hatori in there didn't exactly save me the last time Shigure."

The dog frowned, "You'll just make him angrier. He'll really kill you when you come back."

She tossed a few more items in her bag and closed it up, "I found a job out there, an apartment… Who said I was coming back?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Embrace It**

**A/N: Chapters 1 to 3 were pre written so now that I actually have to work at it, all chapter production will stop until a set number of reviews are reached. That is all.**

* * *

><p>"It seems like you three don't tell me anything."<p>

Nai smirked, "We don't."

Ayame frowned at her from across the table, "Nai you're so mean." He flicked his hair over his shoulder, "But I did miss you my dear…you said you were never coming back."

The woman looked down into her tea, "I wasn't. But things change."

Hatori watched her as he spoke, "Let's just be grateful she's here now."

"Tori was worried about me."

The man stayed silent and stoic but Nai still smiled. Shigure sighed next to her, "We get to pick up where we left off."

Nai smiled, "Of course. I say hot spring trip."

Ayame clapped his hands, "Wonderful! We have so much to catch up on, like this…" he slid something across the table to Nai.

She took the stack of pictures, "Ayame these are…" she gave Hatori a nervous glance and looked down at the smiling woman in the picture. Her dress was stunning and so was she. But it hurt Nai that Hatori wasn't the man next to her.

Ayame read her face, "I knew you'd be on my side. It's not too late for him to whisk her away."

Nai shoved the pictures back across the table, "I don't want to see those."

"Why not?"

"Akito has managed to ruin so much for all four of us. He took her from Hatori, he split you and Yuki… I don't need any reminders."

Shigure cleared his throat, "Actually. Yuki is warming up to Aya."

Ayame was instantly all smiles, "Sweet precious Tohru suggested that we meet each other half way! He even visited my store."

Nai paled, "He actually went into that place? That poor child."

"Hey!"

Hatori smiled and sipped his tea, glancing at the clock. "The children will be let out of school soon. I'll pick them up today."

The woman stood after him, "I'll go with you!"

Shigure pouted as she put on his coat, "Why are you leaving me."

"I'll be right back silly. I want to see where the kids go to school. I still can't believe Akito is letting them go co-ed."

Ayame smirked at his friend, "I haven't had any alone time with you in a long time Shigure." He said suggestively, "Let her go."

Nai rolled her eyes, "You two are gross."

* * *

><p>"Tori, why are we pulling over?"<p>

Hatori adjusted himself in the driver's seat so he could face his lifelong female friend. "Why did you come back?"

Nai rubbed her arm nervously, "Hatori I-"

"Why did you come back?" he spoke slow and calmly, watching her face closely.

"Like I told Shigure. Ends didn't meet. I couldn't make any money on my own and well..."

"And." The doctor pushed.

"I just wanted to come home."

"…Nai."

"What the hell do you want me to say Tori?"

Hatori sighed; she was so easily worked up, "That you felt something. That something was off."

"Tori what's going on?"

"Akito is dying."

Nai rolled her eyes and turned to face forward, "That's nothing new."

"Soon Nai. He's regressing, he doesn't have long."

She felt the tears burning her eyes and threatening to fall. She turned to look out the window and fight back the emotion, "Why are you telling me this now? Here?"

"You and Akito have always had a connection. I don't believe that you didn't feel that something was wrong with him."

Nai wiped the tears from her face, "I started hacking in the middle of the night and my chest would clench up. I would run to the bathroom in the middle of the night and my mind would play tricks on me. I would see Akito in the mirror instead of me."

Hatori turned front and started the car, "That's all I wanted to hear."

She glared out the window, "What do we do when it happens?"

He didn't look at her, keeping his eyes on the road, "I think you already know."

"Right."

He pulled into the front lot of the school and the two exited the car. Nai lent against the side of the vehicle and let the din of laughter and talking wash over her, she smiled.

Hatori noticed the serene look on her face, "What is it?"

The woman shrugged, "Children…"

He nodded, "You're good with them." He paused in his sentence to light a cigarette, "Shigure thinks so too."

Nai smiled, "I guess so."

"A teacher."

"What?"

"I think you being a teacher is good."

She glanced at him before turning back to the car and opening the door for a loud and excited Momiji. "Maybe. You just want someone in there to spy on them."

Hatori slid smoothly into the driver's seat, "Don't be silly."

* * *

><p>"Another hot spring trip? Really?"<p>

Nai rose a brow at Momiji, "Another?"

Shigure smiled and tucked his arms in his sleeves, "Right. Momiji here took Tohru on white day last year."

The woman brushed back the boy's blond hair, "That was sweet of you Momiji." She sat in her usual spot next to the dog and put her head on his shoulder, "So when are we going?"

Hatori walked in, putting his cell phone in his pocket, "Tomorrow morning."

Ayame sat on the other side of Nai and slipped an arm around her waist, "We can choose rooming arrangements now. You don't mind sharing Shigure with me do you my dear cherry blossom?"

Nai rolled her eyes as Shigure wrapped his arm around her other side and lent close, "I'm sure the three of us will be beyond comfortable together although we won't be doing much sleeping."

"Ah! Tori help me!"

Haru groaned along with Kyo and Yuki and Hatori sighed, "Will you two stop it?"

Ayame giggled, "Oh Hari we're just poking a little fun."

Nai shoved him, "Then poke that way."

Tohru stood, "I guess I should start packing then."

The woman watched the young girl and stood also, "I'll go too."

Momiji pouted, "I wanna go!"

Nai melted and held out her arms for him, "C'mon."

Yuki stood, "I might as well start too." Haru followed closely behind the rat and the three remaining men looked to Kyo.

"What?"

"Don't you think you should pack Lucky Kyo? Unless you're just going to wear the same clothes, how dirty…" Ayame rambled.

"Shut up! I'm going."

Shigure watched as the woman walked away with all the children in tow. Ayame caught his gaze and smiled, "The way you look at her is still beautiful."

"Aya please. It's no special way."

Hatori pushed back his hair, "No need to deny it Shigure. I see it too, as well as the children." He cracked open his closed eyes to take a peak at his friend, "You don't have to hide your feelings."

Shigure smiled, "I'm not hiding them…not really."

There was a moment of silence until the doctor sighed, "I told her today."

Ayame hung his head, "How did she take it?"

"Better than anticipated. A few tears, but she wasn't hysterical."

"A strong heart as always."

"Who?"

The men looked up at Nai as she reentered the room. Shigure gave her the moony eyes, "You my brave princess." He sang.

"Good grief Gure put those away."

Hatori threw Ayame a knowing glance and the snake smiled, "Good to be together again."


End file.
